10 Questions with Joe Silva

STOCKTON - Joe Silva is a family man and a former homicide detective who now serves as the public information officer for the Stockton Police Department.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Joe Silva is a family man and a former homicide detective who now serves as the public information officer for the Stockton Police Department.

When gunfire erupts on city streets and the media converges on a crime scene, Silva is summoned - sometimes late at night from the warmth of the home he shares with his wife and two children - to provide press briefings and on-camera interviews.

Silva, 40, grew up in Stockton, attended Lincoln High School, earned a criminal justice degree from California State University, Sacramento, and joined the Stockton Police Department in 1996. He became a homicide detective in 2006 and has served as the department's press liaison since May 2012.

Silva also serves as president of Stockton Police Youth Activities and has spearheaded the Police Department's efforts to use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as a bridge to the community. When he isn't working, he likes to spend time with his family and enjoys watching football. He is a devoted Oakland Raiders fan, but he never seems to let that influence his personable nature.

Question: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Answer: When I'm not at work or volunteering with Stockton Police Youth Activities, I really enjoy being with my family. Whether we're going to the movies or out to dinner, I believe in spending quality time with them.

Q: What's your favorite television show?

A: Because I'm a huge fantasy football fan, I would have to say "NFL Red Zone."

Q: What made you want to become a police officer?

A: Growing up, some of my positive role models were in law enforcement, whether they were coaches or teachers. Listening to their stories and seeing how they interacted with us and our parents made me want to follow in their footsteps.

Q: What might you do for a living if you weren't a police officer?

A: I'd like to be some type of city planner or a politician. I like problem solving, planning, listening and helping people.

Q: What was one of the more memorable cases you worked as a homicide detective?

A: Percy Camel (recently convicted of the 2009 murder of Roberto Hernandez, 21, and the 2010 murder of Francisco Bernardino, 24) was a complex homicide investigation because he was involved in two homicides. What I really enjoyed about that investigation was the teamwork between the Stockton Police Department and Ron Freitas from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office, who prosecuted the case.

Q: Are there any unsolved homicides that still weigh on your mind?

A: Yes, there are two. One was the taxicab driver, Luis Palma (in 2011), and another was Juan Angel Martinez (in 2011). The reason why they're still on my mind is because I know there are people out there who know exactly what happened but they never came forward to give us that important piece of information so those cases could be solved.

Q: What do you like or dislike about your post as the Police Department's public information officer?

A: What I really like is the thrill of meeting the day-to-day challenges of relaying or sharing information that is vital to the safety of the community and the pride of promoting the good work being done every day by the men and women of the Stockton Police Department, from the sworn officers to the civilian staff and our volunteers. There's only one thing I don't like about the job, and it's that sometimes there are not enough hours in the day.

Q: What does it take to be a good public information officer?

A: You have to maintain a strong working relationship with the local news media by being open and transparent. A good PIO is constantly involved in community outreach efforts and educational opportunities to better inform the community about ways to prevent crime and minimize their risk of becoming a victim.

Q: What do you do as president of Stockton Police Youth Activities?

A: I've been involved in the Stockton Police Youth Activities since the 1970s, when I was a participant in the SPYA soccer league. I took the reins as SPYA president when Officer Dave Hatchard retired in 2000. As president, I'm responsible for the day-to-day operations of our program, overseeing the junior cadets, youth boxing, youth karate and other youth enrichment programs.

Q: You have expanded the Police Department's use of social media in a number of ways. How useful can social media be for law enforcement agencies?

A: In an age where people receive their information much faster and more frequently through social media, I believe it's important for law enforcement agencies to embrace social media because it allows us to disseminate, in real time, important information to the community regarding wanted persons, crime trends, arrests, crime prevention and special alerts so our community is well informed and safe. Social media also allows the community to communicate with their respective law enforcement agency to enhance the valuable flow of information and tip sharing necessary for effective community-oriented policing.